underwood



No. 6|4,l87. Patented Nov. l5, I898. J. T. UNDEBWOOD.

TYVPE'WBITER RIBBON.

, (Application filed July 14, 1897.) (No Model.)

INVENTOR [22W BY ATTORNEYS WITNESSES Z UNITED STATES v PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. UNDERWOOD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TYPE-WRITER RIBBON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,187, dated November15, 1898.

Application filed July 14, 1897- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN T. UNDERWOOD, a resident of New York,(Brooklyn) Kings county, State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Type-Writer Ribbons, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to type-writer ribbons, and has for its object toproduce aribbon which may be used to print in differentv colors andwhich will not readily wear out nor be cut by the types.

To this end my invention consists in the construction of type-writerribbon hereinafter set forth and claimed.

My invention will be understood by referring to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of portions of atype-writing machine carrying a ribbon and embodying my invention. Fig.2 is a fragmentary view of a ribbon embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is asection on line 5 5 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a detail View of anotherform of ribbon embodying my invention.

In thedrawings, A is a platen of the type- Writing machine, B theribbon-reels, and G the compound ribbon embodying my present invention.This compound ribbon is reversible, and is shown in Fig. 2 as two layersof ribbon c c laid face to face and traveling together. One of the saidribbons c is one color-say blue-and the other ribbon c is of a differentcolorsay red-secured to each other in any suitable manner-as, forinstance, by the stitching d e. In Fig. 4 the ribbon is shown asconsisting of a tube fiattened, one half or layer of the said tube abeing of a different color from the other halfor layer of the tube 1).The coloring-matter may be applied to the exposed faces of the ribbonsin any suitable manner. This coloring-matter, as will be understood, isa printing-ink which will make a mark upon paper when struck by thetypes. The ribbons carry the ink upon one side or surface, leaving thesides or surfaces of. the ribbons which contact with each other plain oruninked, so that the Serial No. 644,480. (No model.)

colors will not strike through when the struc= ture is used.

The mode of using the ribbon will be readily apparent. When it isdesired to print blue, the blue ribbon is turned toward the platen. Whenit is desired to print red, the red'layer of ribbon is turned toward theplaten.

Having. described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1. As an article of manufacture a reversible ink-ribbon for type-writersdesigned to print a plurality of colors, the said reversible ink-ribbonconsisting of a plurality of layers of fabric, laid face to face alongtheir entire effective lengths and charged upon their exposed surfacesonly, the said layers being charged with ink of difierent colors uponthe said exposed surfaces, substantially as described. I

2. As an article of manufacture a reversible ink-ribbon fortype-writers, a plurality of layers of fabric, laid face to face alongtheir entire effective lengths and secured together to constitute atwo-ply compound fabric struc ture to print different characteristiccolors, the said structure being charged upon opposite faces only withdifferent-colored inks.

3. As an article of manufacture an ink type-writer ribbon for thepurpose of printing a plurality of different colors and comprising aplurality of layers of difierently-colored ink fabrics secured'togetherat or near their edges by a line of stitches, the exposed layersextending the entire eifective length of the ribbon, and having theirexposed faces inked so as to print and their unexposed surfaces in suchcondition as not to print, so that when the ribbon is struck by thetypes the face exposed to the platen will print its characteristic colorwhile'the ink of the ribbon exposed to the types will not strike throughthe ribbon exposed to the platen.

JOHN T. UNDERWOOD.

Witnesses:

MARY ALICIA PERKINS, MAURICE BLOCK.

